The James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award Council (www.tiptree.org) has just announced the two winners of the Tiptree Award:

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Nessand the short story collection, Filter House by Nisi Shawl.

The Award will be given out at Wiscon (the world's leading feminist science fiction convention)over 22nd - 25th May in Wisconsin, and the lucky winners will receive $1000 in prize money, an original artwork created specifically for the winning novel or story, and (as always) chocolate.

Andre Norton Award: How a Girl of Spirit Gambles All to Expand Her Vocabulary, Confront a Bouncing Boy Terror, and Try to Save Califa from a Shaky Doom (Despite Being Confined to Her Room) by Ysabeau S. Wilce

Tuesday, 21 April 2009

Can members of your writing group help us with a book we are producing to raise money for Barnardo's? We are looking for very short stories of about 100 words. They must be on the theme of "Things Kids Say" and should be funny illustrations of amusing things that children have said. We hope you can help because we need more material for the book and half of the £5.99 cover price goes to Barnardo's.

We launched the book with the help of actress and TV celebrity Lynda Bellingham recently, and your members can see more details and an interview with Lynda at http://www.unitedpress.co.uk/itn.php.

We are also looking for people to do simple black ink illustrations of some of the funny stories, so if you can help in any way please let us know.

Sunday, 19 April 2009

Jan Edwards has just had an interview with fantasy author Robert Holdstock published in Dark Horizons #54Jan also had her story Nanna Barrows published in the same issue. This story was originally created as part of an Alchemy writing challenge last year!

Debbie Bennett will be having her story Hunt published in New Horizons #3 in June. This story was also an Alchemy writing challenge creation!

And Mike Chinn will be having his latest Damian Paladin story published in a forthcoming issue of Dark Horizons... more news when we have it!

Both Dark Horizons and New Horizons are magazines published by the British Fantasy Society - more info on them here...

"Science Fiction & Fantasy Writing" is designed to help you improve your creative writing techniques. This four-night crash course in what science fiction is -- and does -- is taught by one of Britain's most accomplished science fiction novelists, PAUL McAULEY -- author of 17 novels and over 70 short stories, and winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award, John W. Campbell Award and Philip K. Dick Award.WHO IS IT FOR?The course is designed for everybody -- from beginners to long-time devotees of the genre -- and McAuley will provide workshop-style discussions of student work, overviews of the history of the genre, the current state of play, and the best ways of breaking into the market.

WHAT WILL WE DO?There will also be class exercises in brainstorming story ideas and narrative development, and class discussions of topics including good work habits, getting from idea to story, research and plausibility, world-building, interaction between character and narrative, and revision and preparation for publication.

HOW WILL IT HELP ME?Before the course begins, you are invited to submit 1,000 - 2,000 words of a work in progress. You can expect personal feedback -- by the instructor and the class as a whole -- of your work, and you will learn how to closely read and contructively critique others' stories, as well as how to revise and improve your own work.

At least one guest speaker will be featured.

FEE: £180 (£120 students -- student ID number required)

BOOK ONLINE at: www.fass.kingston.ac.uk/courses/short-courses/

For more information contact the Short Course Administrator:Tel: +44 (0)20 8417 7790fassshortcourse-info@kingston.ac.uk

Sunday, 12 April 2009

This is taken from the Lit-Net website: "Do you want to be scared? Then Tipton Library is the place for you in May as two horror writers will be dropping in to talk about their novels. Joseph D'Lacey and Bill Hussey will be at the library on Tuesday 12th May as part of the Black Country Big Book Fortnight and will be on hand to share their experiences of horror writing and to answer questions. The event starts at 7.30pm and is free admission by advance ticket only. To reserve a place please call the library on 0121 557 1796". Sorry to say, I have not knowingly heard of these gentlemen before now. I did a quick websearch and both authors have MySpace pages. If you go along and want to report on the event, contact us, or add a comment.

If you fancy trying your hand at an apprenticeship, Adventures in Fiction is offering a one year professional development programme for first-time novelists

There are five subsidized placements for first-time novelists of commercial and literary fiction, including one for crime, one for fantasy and one for fiction for children and young people (9+). The placements, which have an individual value of over £2,750 will take the form of an apprenticeships with a professional writer working in a similar genre.

In its first three years, the scheme has already resulted in a publication and referred a further six writers to literary agents. Four writers have also secured funding, two from Arts Council England, one for an individual mentoring programme with Adventures In Fiction and one to support an apprenticeship placement.

The financial assistance of Arts Council England has enabled them to offer an award of £1000 towards each apprenticeship. (A subsidy of over 36%.)